Multiple effect distillation of alcoholic liquids and the like



Feb. 28, 1939. G T RE|H 2,148,712

MULTIPLE EFFECT DISTILLATION OF ALCOHOLIC LIQUIDS AND THE LIKE Filed Nov. 11, 1936 O fidramefr/ c Condenser Concenfmfed Egrogne/"nc on safer Beer Concenfrafed 756777/ 75 670 or Fermenfe To fiaramefr/c Gandenser Beer Sfeam 5777/ or Fermenfer 3 wu W 75 5777/ Concenfmfed mam, AM i- 24 Patented Feb. 28,: 1939 MULTIPLE EFFECT DISTILLATION OF ALCO- HOLIC LIQUIDS AND THE LIKE Gustave T. Reich, Philadelphia, Pa.

Application November 11, 1936, Serial No. 110,339 10 Claims. (01. 202-45) This invention relates to methods and apparatus for the multiple-effect distillation of liquids containing volatile organic compounds, particularly of alcoholic liquids obtained by the fermentation of saccharine liquids, technically known as beers.

In my United States Patent No. 2,053,111 I have described a method of multiple-eiiect evaporation, comprising a plurality of cycles. At the beginning of the first cycle liquid from the first effect is permitted to flow continuously into the second effect, while the liquid outlet from the second is closed, until the liquid in the second efiect reaches a predetermined level. Thereafter,

the liquid communication between the first and second eiiects is closed and the residual alcoholic content of the liquid in the second effect is completely removed while liquid is allowed to accumulate until a predetermined level is reached.

At this point the residual liquid in the second effect is permitted to flow into the third efiect or into an intermediate flow equalizing means, such as a storage tank. The liquid outlet from the second effect is now closed and accumulated liquor in the first effect is allowed to flow into the' second efiect, beginning a new cycle.

I have now found that the disadvantage of operating the evaporators at varying levels may be to a large extent avoided and that smoother operation and increased evaporator capacity may be obtained by inserting in the liquid conduits be tween the cheats storage vessels connected with the vapor conduit from either the preceding or the succeeding effect. When the storage vessels are connected with the vapor line from the succeeded effect, a further advantage in operation can be obtained by heating the liquid in the storage vessels by indirect heating with a portionof the vapor from the preceding eii'ect so 40 that the storage vessels become, in effect, intermediateevaporators operating in parallel with the succeeding eiIect. I

The invention will be more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawing whichshows illustrative arrangements of apparatus embodying the principles of the invention.

In the drawing:

50 Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic representation of an arrangement of apparatus in which the intermediate vessels are connected to the vapor line of thepreceding effect; s

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic representation of an 55 arrangement in which the intermediate vessels are connected to the vapor line of the succeeding effects; and

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic representation of an arrangement in which the intermediate vessels are connected to the vapor line of the succeed 5 ing effect and are indirectly heated by means of vapor from the preceding effect.

In Fig. l, m, H and I2 are evaporators having steam chests or calandrias l3, l4 and I5, respectively. The evaporators are connected for multi- 10 ple effect evaporation, evaporator in being heated by steam, vapors from evaporator l0 passing to calandria M of evaporator I I, and vapors from evaporator l I passing to calandria l5 of evaporator 12. The vapor space of evaporator I2 is connected to a source of vacuum through a barometric condenser, not shown. Intermediate storage container 16 is connected by a valve-controlled conduit to receive liquor from evaporator l0, and a valve-controlled conduit is also provided 20 for the passage of liquor from container IE to evaporator H. The upper part of container 16 is connected with the vapor conduit leading from evaporator ill to the calandria of evaporator Ii. Intermediate storage container I1 is similarly 25 connected between evaporators II and I2.

In operation, beer is fed into evaporator l0 and the major portion of the alcohol or other volatile organic compounds contained therein is evaporated therefrom, the alcoholic vapors passing to calandria I 4 of evaporator I l .where they are condensed and passed to a still for rectification. The liquid in evaporator I 0 is preferably maintained at substantially constant level by drawing off liquor into container 6. The residual alcoholic content of the liquid effluent from evaporator 10 is completely removed in evaporator II. This is effected by filling the evaporator with liquid to a predetermined level from container l6 while maintaining evaporation therefrom, the flow of liquid out of evaporator l I being shut off, When the predetermined level in evaporator H is reached the feed of liquid from container I6 is shut off and evaporation is continued until the liquid is completely dealcoholized, the vapors passing: to the calandria of evaporator l2 where they are condensed and the condensate passed to a still for rectification or to other recovery means.

When the liquid in evaporator H is completely dealcoholized it is run into container I1 and liquid from container i6 is again fed into evaporator II. The dealcoholized liquid in container I1 is fed, preferably substantially continuously, into evaporator I 2 where it is evaporated to a concentrated slop which is drawn of! for further treatment. By connecting containers l6 and I! with the vapor lines from evaporators Ill and II, respectively, the liquid therein may be drawn into evaporators II and I2, respectively by the lower pressures maintained in'these evaporators over evaporators l0 and II, respectively.

In the apparatus shown in Fig. 2 evaporators 20, 2| and 22 are connected in the same way as evaporators l0, H and i2 in Fig. 1. Intermediate container 23, however, is connected to the vapor line from evaporator 2|, and intermediate container 24 is connected to the vapor line from evaporator 22.

The operation of this apparatus is substantially the same as that of Fig. 1 except that because of the connection of the containers to the vapor lines of the succeeding evaporators the liquid is drawn from the preceding evaporators by virtue of the higher vacuum in the succeeding evapora tors and the liquid may be fed from the containers into the succeeding evaporators by gravity flow. Moreover because of the higher vacuum exerted on the liquid in the containers a cer -in amount of evaporation takes place therein.

In the apparatus shown in Fig. 3 the arrangement and connection of the evaporators 30, 3i and 32, and intermediate vessels 33 and 34 is the same as in Fig. 2, but in addition a portion of the vapors from evaporators 30 and 3| is passed into heating chests or calandrias in vessels 33 and 34, respectively. In this way the vessels 33 and 34 become, in effect, intermediate evaporators, operating in parallel with evaporators II and 32 as respects vapor flow and heating medium, and in series with these evaporators as respects liquid flow.

It will thus be seen that by the provision of intermediate containers between the effects of a multiple effect evaporator the invention provides for the complete and emcient removal of volatile organic compounds from liquids while evaporating the residual liquids to a useful concentrate. The arrangements shown by way of example are illustrative only and may be varied to a wide extent and combined with other features, for example, with rectifying columns operating as additional or parallel effects as described in my copending application Serial No. 109,027, filed November 3, 1936.

I claim:

1. In the multiple effect evaporation of aqueous liquids containing volatile organic compounds wherein the liquid is fed into the first effect of a multiple effect evaporator which is indirectly heated with steam and the liquid is thereafter further evaporated in successive effects operating under increasingly lower pressures which are indirectly heated by the vapors developed in the immediate preceding effects, the improvement which comprises passing liquid substantially continuously from the first effect into a chamber maintained under a pressure at least as low as that of the second effect, periodically evaporating substantially all of the residual organic compound from the liquid in the second effect without removing liquid therefrom, thereafter passing the liquid from the second effect into a second chamber maintained under a pressure at least as low as the third effect, thereafter feeding accumulated liquid in the first chamber into the heated zone of the second effect, and independently feeding liquid from the second chamber into the heated zone of the third effect.

2. In the multiple effect evaporation of aqueous liquids containing volatile organic compounds wherein the liquid is fed into the first effect of a multiple effect evaporator which is indirectly heated with steam and the liquid is thereafter further evaporated in successive effects operating under increasingly lower pressures which are indirectly heated by the vapors developed in the immediate preceding effects, the improvement which comprises passing liquid substantially continuously from the first effect into a chamber maintained under a pressure at least as low as that of the second effect, periodically evaporating substantially all of the residual organic compound from the liquid in the second effect without removing liquid therefrom, thereafter passing the liquid from the second effect into a second chamber maintained under a pressure at least as low as the third effect, thereafter feeding accumulated liquid in the first chamber into the heated zone of the second effect, and substantially continuously feeding liquid from the second chamber into the heated zone of the third effect.

3. In the multiple effect evaporation of aqueous liquids containing volatile organic compounds wherein the liquid is fed into the first effect of a multiple effect evaporator which is indirectly heated with steam and the liquid is thereafter further evaporated in successive effects operating under increasingly lower pressures which are indirectly heated by the vapors developed in the immediate preceding effects, the improvement which comprises passing liquid substantially continuously from the first effect into a chamber maintained under the pressure of the first effect, periodically evaporating substantially all of the residual organic compound from the liquid in the second effect without removing liquid therefrom, thereafter passing the liquid from the second effect into a second chamber maintained under the pressure of the second effect, thereafter feeding accumulated liquid in the first chamber into the heated zone of the second effect, and independently feeding liquid from the second chamber into the heated zone of the third effect.

4. In the multiple effect evaporation of aqueous liquids containing volatile organic compounds wherein the liquid is fed into the first effect of a multiple effect evaporator which is indirectly heated with steam and the liquid is thereafter further evaporated in successive eflects operating under increasingly lower pressures which are indirectly heated by the vapors developed in the immediately preceding effects, the improvement which comprises passing liquid substantially continuously from the first effect into a chamber maintained under the pressure of the secondeffect, periodically evaporating substantially all of the residual organic compound from the liquid in the second effect without removing liquid therefrom. thereafter passing the liquid from the second efiect into a second chamber maintained under the pressure of the third effect, thereafter feeding accumulated liquid in the first chamber into the heated zone of the second effect, and independently feeding liquid from the second chamber into the heated zone of the third effect.

5. In a multiple effect evaporation of aqueous liquids containing volatile organic compounds wherein the liquid is fed into the first effect of a multiple effect evaporator which is indirectly heated with steam and the liquid is thereafter further evaporated in successive effects operating under increasingly lower pressures which are indirectly heated by the vapors developed in the immediate preceding effects, the improvement which comprises passing liquid substantially con- -ond effect into a second chamber maintained under the pressure of the third eifect, thereafter feeding accumulated liquid in the first chamber into the heated zone of the second effect, independently feeding liquid from the second chamber into the heated zone of the third efiect, and

indirectly heating the first chamber with a portion of the vapors from the first effect.

6. In the multiple eifectevaporation of aqueous liquids containing volatile organic compounds wherein the liquid is fed into the first efi'ect of a multiple effect evaporator which is indirectly heated with steam and the liquid is thereafter further evaporated in successive e'ifectsoperating under increasingly lower pressures which are indirectly heated by the vapors developed in the immediately preceding effects, the improvement which comprises passing liquid substantially continuously from the firsteilect into a chamber maintained under the pressure of the second effect, periodically evaporating substantially all of the residual organic compound from the liquid in the second effect without removing liquid there-- liquids containing volatile organic compounds wherein the liquid is fed into the first effect of a multiple effect evaporator which is indirectly heated with steam and the liquid is thereafter further evaporated in successive effects operating under increasingly lower pressures which are indirectly heated by the vapors developed in the immediately preceding effects, the improvement which comprises passing liquid substantially continuously from the first effect into a chamber maintained under the pressure of the second effect, periodically evaporting substantially all of the residual organic compound from the liquid in the second eflect without removing liquid therefrom, thereafter passing the liquid from the second effect into a-second chamber maintained under the pressure of the third eflect, thereafter feeding accumulated liquid in the first chamber into the heated zone of the second effect, independently feeding liquid from the second chamber into the heated zone of the third effect, and indirectly heating the first and second containers with aportionof the vapors from the first and second efi'ects respectively.

8. In the multiple effect evaporation of aqueous liquids containing volatile organic compounds wherein the liquid is fed into the first effect of a multiple effect evaporator which is indirectly heated with steam and the liquid is thereafter further evaporated in successive eflects operating under increasingly lower pressures which are infrom the second chamber into the heated zone of directly heated by the vapors developed in the immediately preceding effects, the improvementwhich comprises passing liquid substantially continuously from the first effect into a chamber maintained under a pressure at least as low as 5 that of the second effect, periodically evaporating substantially all of the residual organic compound from the liquid in the second effect without removing liquid therefrom, thereafter passing the liquid from the second eifect into a second chamber maintained under a pressure at least as low as the third effect, thereafter feeding accumulated liquid in the first chamber into the heated zone of the second effect, independently feeding liquid 16 the third effect, and condensing vapors developed multiple effect evaporator which is indirectly heated with steam and the liquid is thereafter further evaporated in successive effects operating under increasingly lower pressures which are indirectly heated by the vapors developed in the immediately preceding eil'ects, the improvement which comprises passing liquid substantially continuously from the first efiect into a chamber maintained under the pressure of the first effect, periodically evaporating substantially all of the residual organic compound from the liquid in the second effect without removing liquid therefrom, thereafter passing the liquid from the second effect into a second chamber maintained under the pressure of the second effect, thereafter feeding accumulated liquid in the first chamber into the heated zone of the second effect, independently feeding liquid from the second chamber into the heated zone of the third effect, and condensing vapors developed in said chambers by indirect heat exchange with liquid under a pressure lower than that in said chambers.

10. In the multiple eflect evaporation of aqueous liquids containing volatile organic compounds wherein the liquid is fed into the first effect of a multiple effect evaporator which is indirectly heated with steam and the liquid is thereafter further evaporated in successive effects operating under increasingly lower pressures which are indirectly heated by the vapors developed in the immediately preceding effects, the improvement which comprises passing liquid substantially continuously from the first effect into a chamber maintained under the pressure of the second effect, periodically evaporating substantially all of the residual organic. compound from the liquid in the second effect without removing liquid therefrom, thereafter passing the liquid from the second effect into a second chamber maintained under the pressure of the third effect, thereafter feeding accumulated liquid in the first chamber into the heated zone of the second effect, independently feeding liquid from the second chanrcs ber into the heated zone of the third effect, and condensing vapors developed in the first chamber by indirect heat exchange with liquid under the pressure of the third effect.

-. r I CERTIFICATE OF com-women. 1

NO. I N r I I i 28, e v GUSTAVE T.- REICH.

It is hereby certified that error appears inithe fi iflfied specification of the above numbered patent reqfiiring correction as follows: Page 2, first column, i 60, and second column, lines 8, 51 end75, claims 1, 2, 3, and

5 respectively, for the word "immediate" read immediately and that the said Letters Patelit should be read with this correctioh thereinthat the same may conform to the reeord of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 11th day of April, A.-D. 1939.

Henry Van Arsdale (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

